We want residents to be informed with what is happening with Town Government, so many communication avenues are available. Residents can sign up to receive email and text notification of town news, public safety news, posted committee meetings and agendas, as well as a monthly electronic newsletter containing brief summaries of notable government news. The Town is also on Facebook at facebook.com/westonmass and Twitter at twitter.com/Town_of_Weston.

The Town of Weston is one of 6 communities involved in the Regional Housing Services Office.

The Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO) was established by the towns of Bedford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Sudbury, and Weston with Sudbury as the Host Community. This collaboration was formed through an Inter-Municipal Agreement signed in February 2011. With a goal to provide municipalities with technical support for the administration of affordable housing, the RHSO has been established as a creative approach to maintaining the 3,200 units of affordable housing in this regional service area.

The Green Power Farm project continues to be a vital part of the Town’s activities. This project is administered and paid for by the Conservation Commission and managed for the Commission by Land’s Sake. Many resident children and teenagers participate in this program. These young people receive a practical introduction to organic farming and gardening. They are also involved in the distribution of produce to those who needed it. Land's Sake website

Weston Community Gardens is on Municipal Purposes land and managed by the Weston Conservation Commission. This program offers community garden plots for growing organic produce and/or flowers. For further information, please visit the Community Gardens page.

State law requires that all dogs more than 6 months old must be licensed annually. The license period is January 1st - December 31st. For more information, please visit the Online Dog License Renewal page.

If you need help with a consumer problem you can call the Consumer Assistance Office - MetroWest Inc. at 508-651-8812.

The Consumer Assistance Office is a non-profit organization which operates under a grant from the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General. The agency works in cooperation with the AGO to help people resolve their consumer issues. Services are free and mediation is informal, non-legal advice performed by trained volunteers. Consumer Assistance Office website.

Dial 911 in the event of an emergency only! Call when your house is on fire, when someone is badly hurt or suddenly sick and in danger, Call immediately. Call when someone’s life is threatened, when someone faints or collapses, has persistent chest pain or difficulty breathing or is badly injured. Call if the victim needs the skills or equipment of emergency personnel. If unsure, call 911.

All Weston Fire Department personnel are trained in first aid and CPR and are considered first responders. A first responder is a person trained to arrive on the scene and provide immediate care to keep the victim alive until advance medical personnel arrive on the scene. All Weston fire units are capable of this function.

Weston Fire Department maintains 2 basic life support fire engines with at least 1 defibrillator-trained, state-certified emergency medical technicians (EMT-D). Moreover, the additional personnel on the engine are needed in order to safely move the patient from the scene to the ambulance.

You should roll out of bed and crawl to the nearest exit and leave the building. Call 911 and notify the Fire Department you have a possible fire in your home.

Today, a home can become untenable within 4 minutes because of smoke; you may be unable to escape a burning home in less than one minute. Don’t take chances. Firefighters will quickly respond and investigate the cause of the alarm.

If your home is on fire get out as quickly as you can and call 911 from a neighbor’s home. You should also have a family meeting place to ensure everyone got out safely.

As a fire burns, it moves upward until it meets an obstruction such as a ceiling and then moves horizontally through the entire building. Cutting a hole in the roof allows the heat and smoke to go out into the atmosphere, cuts down on the smoke damage, and makes conditions more favorable for firefighters to enter the building.

Breaking the windows provides the maximum area for smoke to exit the building as well as providing an exit for firefighters operating in the building that may otherwise become trapped.

All this combined is called ventilation. This is necessary at all fires so the fire can be extinguished quickly and safely.

You can get a copy of a fire report at the Weston Fire Department Headquarters, located at 394 Boston Post Road, by either calling and requesting it or mailing in your request along with your check payable to the Town of Weston. You will need the date of loss, time of loss and the street address. There is a charge of $30 per copy. For more information you can call 781-786-6101.

Yes, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts allows burning under 527 Code of Massachusetts Regulations 10.22 (2) from January 15 to May 1 of each year. You must have a burning permit issued by the Weston Fire Department for the burning season. After a permit is issued, you must call each day to see if burning is allowed. The chief will determine if conditions are favorable for burning each day. For more information, call the Fire Department 781-786-6101.

The Weston Fire Department operates out of 2 stations. Headquarters is located at 394 Boston Post Road housing Ladder 1, Engine 1, Engine 4, Rescue 1, Rescue 2, Rescue Boat, S-1, Car and Car 3. Station 2 is located at 309 South Avenue housing Engine 3 and Engine 2. The administration offices are located at headquarters along with fire prevention and the dispatch office.

Anyone with a firearm identification card (FID) or a Class A or B license to carry (LTC) may use a non-large capacity rifle or shotgun for hunting. High capacity rifles or shotguns require either a Class A or B LTC. While engaged in hunting and in possession of a hunting license, a person with an FID or a Class A or B LTC may carry a loaded or unloaded rifle or shotgun on a public way.

Weston has 14 historic "areas." These areas were identified in the 1993-1994 comprehensive survey of Weston, funded by the Weston Historical Commission and Massachusetts Historical Commission. They are areas that are special to the town because of their architectural resources or character.

These areas have been researched and documented through maps and photographs. Some are eligible to be designated as National Register Historic District. However, none of these areas presently has any official designation or protection.

The National Register is a list of buildings, sites, and districts designated as important in American history, culture, architecture or archeology. It is a federal designation administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

Listing in the National Register: Recognizes that the area is important to the history of the community, state or nation Allows the owners of income-producing properties certain federal tax incentives for renovation Provides limited protection from adverse effects by federally funded, licensed or assisted projects. In no way limits the owner's use of the property unless public funding is used. If your property is listed in the National Register you may do anything with it you wish.

Building permit applications are available online or in person at the Building Department - 2nd floor at Town Hall, 11 Town House Road. You may also contact Margy Cohen, Permit Administrator at 781-786-5066 for guidance with your project. Online Permit Portal

Construction activity shall be permitted Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Construction activity shall also be permitted on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; provided that such activity shall be limited to interior work only and cannot be heard outside the home or structure. Outside construction activity shall take place on Saturdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. No construction activity shall take place outside on Sundays or holidays unless special permission is given by the Police Chief.

A Building Permit is required to build or install a deck. The deck must comply with zoning, wetland, and septic system setbacks. It will also be reviewed for flood plain and building code compliance. A certified plot plan is required with the other conditions if pertinent. Two sets of building plans (see building permit application instructions) must be submitted showing size, spacing of all structural members as well as location of concrete footings.

If a retaining wall (including rip-rap) constructed of any masonry material including concrete and is less than 36 inches above existing natural grade it does not require a building permit. Please call the office for additional instructions if 36 inches or above.

Requirements are a minimum of 4 feet high fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates. Openings in the fencing shall not allow passage of a 4 inches diameter sphere. All doors with direct access to the pool from the dwelling if used as part of the pool enclosure, must be equipped with an audible alarm or an approved power safety cover. A building permit is required for a fence around a pool.

When work includes, but not limited to, manufacturing, assembling, fabrication, installing, dismantling, altering and repairing of duct or air exchange systems. Testing, adjusting and air balancing of all air handling equipment and duct work installed during new or remodeling of construction, residential or commercial. Installation of kitchen hoods, kitchen vents, bathroom exhaust vents and fans.

State law requires that all dogs more than 6 months old must be licensed annually. The license period is January 1st - December 31st. For more information, please visit the Online Dog License Renewal page.

The Town of Weston is one of 6 communities involved in the Regional Housing Services Office.

The Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO) was established by the towns of Bedford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Sudbury, and Weston with Sudbury as the Host Community. This collaboration was formed through an Inter-Municipal Agreement signed in February 2011. With a goal to provide municipalities with technical support for the administration of affordable housing, the RHSO has been established as a creative approach to maintaining the 3,200 units of affordable housing in this regional service area.

After applying road de-icing chemicals, the Department of Public Works (DPW) waits for the chemicals to react with the snow to create a “brine” solution. This reaction time depends on a number of variables (i.e., traffic flow, temperature, etc.). The “brine” solution keeps the snow from adhering to the street and helps in the snow plowing effort.

Traffic volume is the determining factor for order in snow removal operations. You may feel that your street is last to be plowed, but our main objective is to make the roads safe for all drivers during snowstorms. Please be patient.

First, please know that the Town is not liable for damages incurred by plowed, thrown or moved snow and ice as the result of normal plowing operations. Further, the Town is not responsible for the following damaged items that are located within the public way: fences; lawns; shrubs; sprinkler heads; steps; or trees.

Mailbox ResponsibilityThe town will be responsible for mailboxes that are physically hit by a plow; however, the town is not liable for damage to mailboxes caused from heavy, wet snow being plowed. Mailboxes will not be repaired if they are in a deteriorated condition.

Mailboxes and posts damaged by the impact of a snowplow will be fixed and/or replaced by the town with a standard wooden post and black box. The town will provide a check in the amount of $50 for homeowner’s use for any specialty mailbox and/or post that cannot be repaired.

To report plow damage, please contact the Department of Public Works at 781-786-5100. See also:

A solar panel is the mechanical mount for a group of solar photovoltaic cells. The cells are semiconductor wafers that convert energy from the sun to electricity. A solar photovoltaic array is an arrangement of solar photovoltaic panels.

A closed landfill no longer accepts waste for disposal; Weston’s landfill was closed in the early 1990s. Closing a landfill requires specific steps mandated by the state to minimize impact on nearby land, water and atmosphere. After closure, the town must continue to monitor the landfill for minimal impact.

It provides electrical energy without consuming fossil fuels like natural gas, fuel oil, or coal or discharging exhaust wastes and contaminants like sulfur and lead. The energy from the sun is directly converted to electricity, by-passing the infrastructure supporting a fuel-based generating station. It will bring in $250,000 annually towards municipal energy costs.

There are 38 Massachusetts towns that have approved Landfill Post-Closure Use permits for solar, a necessary state permit required for landfill use. Towns with permits for proposed arrays include Acton, Billerica, Canton (array operating since August 2012), Lancaster, Maynard, and Sudbury. The average array for these 6 towns produces 2.6 Megawatts on 19 acres. The proposed array for Weston will produce approximately 1 Megawatt on 5 acres.

Manufacturing the array components including semiconductors is energy intensive and therefore contributes to CO2 and pollutants in the atmosphere. Transportation to the array site, installation, maintenance and disassembly contribute to energy demand. In operation, an array will reflect sunlight that appears as glare in very specific locations as the sun crosses the sky. These locations are readily calculated and are mitigated by installing the array in exact locations.

The estimated savings from the solar array would be $250,000 annually for the 1st year of a 20-year contract, with electrical output decreasing by less than 0.5% per year. The estimated savings is about $19 million over 20 years.

The savings occurs because the Town would pay a lower kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate for energy from the array than the rate available from an electrical supplier via Eversource (NStar) wiring, and will also receive net metering credits and PILOT payments.

The array is estimated to save the Town about 40% of its municipal and school electricity costs; it does not affect the Town’s indebtedness or credit-worthiness. The lower price for the electrical energy generated is a cost savings that will reduce the energy budget.

The owner of the array is typically a private company, so it can capture tax breaks like depreciation expenses for the array that are not available to the Town, a non-taxed entity.

There are two contracts between the array owner and the Town. The first is a long-term lease from the Town to the owner to allow construction of the array on the closed landfill. The second commits the Town to buying all electricity generated by the solar array at an agreed-to price, typically for 20 years. The later contract is a power purchase agreement (PPA). The PPA also says that the owner is responsible for all design, construction, operation, maintenance and disassembly of the array for the duration of the contract.

Financially, the only responsibility of the Town is to pay the contracted price for the electricity generated. This is an expense item only with no effect on the capital budget.

The Town’s risk is buying electricity at a contracted rate for 20 years. At the beginning of the contract, electricity from the array is estimated to be about $0.07 less per kilowatt-hour. For the utility rate (NStar and generator) to be less than the array would require a sustained reduction in their pricing that has not happened since the 1960s.

The Town’s risk is buying electricity at a market (variable) rate for 20 years. Staying with the market rate is not a good deal when it exceeds the contracted price. That is the case at the beginning with the contracted price estimated at $0.07 per kWh less. From there, you assess risk of staying with the market rate by estimating the market price for future years and comparing it with the contract.

A closed landfill may be used for a new purpose, but with restrictions that exclude nearly all buildings and uses that could potentially damage the one-millimeter thick plastic cap that diverts rainwater from all waste. A solar photovoltaic array is a permitted use if construction, use, maintenance and disassembly do not damage the cap. A Weston array can be placed without shade from trees and with mechanical mounts that allow a southern exposure for maximum energy per panel.

The total area of the array is about five acres, roughly equal to five football fields. It would cover nearly all the plateau on the landfill. An access road for construction, maintenance and disassembly is necessary.

Each Town or school building has one or more meters that measure the kilowatt-hours consumed from the electrical grid. The solar array also has a meter, but one that operates in reverse, so each kilowatt-hour measured decreases the town bill. On average, the array would provide about 20% of the electrical energy, so for every 5 kilowatt-hours consumed from the grid, the solar array adds 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity to the grid.

Yes, electrons generated by the solar array go through an inverter and then a transformer connected to the grid. Where the electrons go is determined by the direction of electric fields at the exact instant the electrons enters the grid. The meter on the solar array determines the amount of electricity provided to the grid, not its destination.

Studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have demonstrated that stormwater runoff is one of the most significant sources of water pollution. Rain or snow melt can pick up pollutants and wash them into the town’s drainage system, and this polluted stormwater runoff can be discharged into local rivers and streams without adequate treatment.

Common pollutants include motor oils, fuels, greases and metals from vehicles; pesticides and lawn fertilizers; construction dust and sediment; and litter such as cigarette butts, paper wrappers and plastic bottles.

In combination, these pollutants can clog waterways, degrade animal habitat, and contaminate drinking water. The increased volume and rate of flow can contribute to increased flooding, causing erosion of streambeds and siltation of waterways, and decreasing the amount of water recharged to aquifers. Why Stormwater Matters Presentation (PDF)

Stormwater is managed through a combination of engineering, construction, maintenance and public outreach to address the quality and quantity of runoff. Much of the stormwater that flows onto Weston’s roads is directed to ponds, wetlands, and streams through a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4).

The town is authorized to discharge stormwater through the Phase II National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit for small MS4s.

Stormwater management must be addressed when some activities are proposed on a certain residential, municipal, or commercial properties that seek a permit from the Conservation Commission or Planning Board.

The Town’s existing stormwater by-law provides the ability for the Town to ensure that construction activities do not increase stormwater runoff onto town streets only. Currently however, a property owner can clear-cut their property, bring in truck-loads of fill, change drainage characteristics, and pave their backyard with almost no consideration for stormwater impacts on neighbors or nearby wetlands. The Town has limited means to get involved and in order to seek relief; the aggrieved abutter would need to file a private nuisance suit in court.

The Weston Cultural Council, administered at the state level by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, receives state funds to be granted at the local level. Municipally-appointed volunteers meet and decide how to distribute the money to projects that promote access, education, diversity and excellence in three areas: Arts (crafts, performing, visual, media, folk, design, literary, and interdisciplinary arts); Humanities (history, social studies, philosophy, criticism, and literature); and Interpretive Sciences (engaging people in learning about nature, science, and technology in ways that connect to their lives). Weston Cultural Council (WCC)

According to requirements determined by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, funds are to be used for arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences. There must be a public benefit. Applicants may not be discriminated against on the basis of race, sex, religion, creed, color, national origin, disability or age. Funds must not be used to substitute or replace current or previously funded public programs of a municipality, such as schools or libraries.

Weston Cultural Council local funding priorities include, but are not limited to, Weston students in public or private schools, newly emerged artists, Weston artists, programs presenting history, and collaborative projects between cultural and science groups and/or community organizations; however, good quality, entertaining and sustainable programs from towns outside of Weston are highly encouraged to apply, particularly if the program is of cultural interest to Weston.

Grants must have a local venue/connection. Funds are not to be used as the sole means of support for projects of a continuing nature. Reapplications for continuing projects are occasionally funded for more than three years. We encourage groups not to rely on Council funding on a yearly basis and to develop other sources of funding.

Funds may not be used for the purchase of food. Funds for scholarships are available to applicant organizations or individuals and must demonstrate community benefit.

A wide variety of projects have been funded over the years, such as reading series, artists and scientist programs, performing arts (music, theater, film) and visual (including innovative art forms). A list of past Grant Recipient projects is listed on the Weston Cultural Council web page.

Grant applications must be postmarked or submitted online by October 15th. Funding is awarded for projects planned for July of the current year through December of the following calendar year. Money becomes available after January 1st and is awarded on a reimbursement basis upon the completion of each project.

WestonAlerts is the Town of Weston and Weston Public School's official emergency alert and notification system. This system is used to send time-sensitive alerts to the public during emergencies. WestonAlerts is a free* service that allows residents to receive emergency notification via text message, email, and/or voice message. *message and data rates may apply

When emergencies happen, Town Officials will use the emergency notification system to send official, real-time alerts to the public with information about potentially life-saving actions or time-sensitive matters.

When an emergency occurs that meets the criteria for sending out an alert to the public, Weston's Town Officials will gather the necessary information and send out an alert to the affected area. Alerts can be sent out town-wide to every resident who has opted-in to the system, or to a specific area or neighborhood for more localized events.

While WestonAlerts is an excellent system, we cannot guarantee that you will receive notification in all cases. Disasters and emergencies are chaotic and unpredictable, and notification is dependent upon external providers such as your wireless carrier or email delivery service that are outside Weston’s control. WestonAlerts will use several means of communications to try to reach residents, in order to improve the likelihood that residents will receive the important information.

The former emergency notification system was replaced by WestonAlerts over the summer of 2016. The database was transferred over to the new system and landline phone customers' numbers were also. The Smart911 system allows for additional communications, which is why Town Officials strongly encourage all residents to update preferences and contact information by logging into their WestonAlerts accounts.

Weston residents who have a landline phone may receive alerts; however, there are strict rules governing when Weston can use this contact information to send out an alert. Only extremely critical alerts containing potentially life-saving information will be sent. In order to ensure that you are able to get all emergency alerts we recommend that you sign-up for WestonAlerts online. If you do not sign up and register your contact information, you will not receive alerts on your preferred devices, and may miss out on receiving important safety information.

Emergency alerts are sent 24/7 when there is an immediate threat to life and/or property. In addition to emergency alerts, you can also choose to receive additional community notifications. These include notifications about:o Severe o Safety riskso Health riskso Transportation disruption o Test messages

Follow the below steps to change your WestonAlerts preferences (for example, to reduce the number of messages of a certain type, or to change the contacts used for each kind of message):1. Go to the login page at www.weston.org/Smart911Alerts 2. Login using your WestonAlerts username and password (If you’ve forgotten these, follow the instructions on the page under “Forgot Username or Password?”)3. Once signed in, click the ‘Preferences’ tab at the top4. Under ‘Notification Preferences’, you can make changes to both the phone numbers and email addresses on which you want to receive WestonAlert messages by clicking or un-clicking the corresponding check boxes5. You can also choose what alerts you want to receive and the method you wish to receive them by (text, voice, email)

The frequency for which you receive alerts depends on the addresses you provide and the types of alerts you select to receive, as well as the frequency of actual emergencies. Emergency alerts will only be sent when there is an immediate threat to life and/or property. Community notifications will be sent when the criteria for sending an alert are met.

This system is not intended to communicate Town news or ordinary information. It is intended for emergency and time-sensitive notification only. The Town will only send you alerts about the information you select to receive. To change your alert settings, login to www.weston.org/Smart911Alerts and edit your preferences.

Personal information provided to WestonAlerts is private and only used to notify you for official Town of Weston communications and to support Weston’s emergency services.

Your information is not used for marketing purposes and will not be sold to telemarketers or data-mining organizations. A variety of “opt-in” mechanisms are available to ensure you are getting just the messages you want to receive, delivered via the devices and communications modes that you choose.

WestonAlerts, which is powered by the Smart911 system, utilizes the highest standards in physical and computer security technologies and conducts regular audits to ensure all information is kept secure. Privacy policies are also outlined in the Terms and Conditions you review when you sign up to receive WestonAlerts notifications.